• Monomotapa flops pile pressure on Mapeza • Hotel farce forces Highlanders to play in Harare • Kiglon soar as Dynamos, H'landers stutter • Stars over the moon after Independence Trophy win • Kiglon maintain fairytale start to season • Sadomba double lifts Dynamos • Highlanders held by Lengthens • Kiglon shoot down Stars to go top • Dynamos survive Mozambique scare • Malajila stars as H'landers gore Buffaloes • Dynamos take commanding lead over Sol • Malajila earns Highlanders draw in Zambia • Police call off league matches over poll violence fears • Busy schedule for league teams over Easter • Highlanders rampage as Dynamos, CAPS draw • CBZ unveils $4,5 trillion league sponsorship deal • 2008 Premier Soccer League Fixtures

By Mutongi Gava

Dynamos (Zimbabwe)...1
Etoile (Tunisia).............0

ON A stage set for champions, Dynamos played like one to take a deserved first leg, second round lead over the mighty Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia, the holders of the African Champions League trophy.

Dynamos coach David Mandigora has invoked the spirit of 1998 when Dynamos reached the finals to inspire his team.

And in front of a capacity partisan crowd at Gwanzura Stadium on Sunday, it was fitting then that a veteran of that spell-binding 1998 run was the difference between the two teams.

Maringwa, who played the same team 10 years ago, turned in a powerful header six minutes after the restart and Dynamos held on for a famous win.

Etoile were unlucky not to level as shots from Amine Chermiti and Mohamed Nafkha struck the woodwork.

It was the second consecutive away loss for Sahel, the only team to win every African Football Confederation club competition, after a 3-0 reverse against Douanes in Senegal this month.

Etoile had won the first leg by five goals at the Olympic Stadium in their Mediterranean base of Sousse.

The Tunisians will host the most popular Zimbabwean club there over the weekend of May 9-11 with a place in the group phase at stake.

Wonder Sithole had a chance to give Dynamos an early lead but his spectacular overhead kick was met with an equally magnificent save by the visitors’ goalkeeper on 35 minutes.

CONTROL: Dynamos winger Benjamin Marere holds off Etoile defender Natkha Ali

Reflecting on a very famous win, Mandigora urged caution ahead of the second leg.

He said: "We have just played the first 90 minutes of the match. There is still a lot to be done for the second leg. But we hope everything will be in our favour."

Dynamos Team
W Manyatela, B Tuwaya ( W Mapfumo), S Mutenheri, T Svesve, R Mhlanga, J Majabvi, L Mapuya, D Maringwa, B Marere ( D Shoko), E Sadomba, W Sithole (M Murape)
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